Moti, a casual Indian spot specializing in street food, has become a fast favorite for many of the locals in the area because of the delicious food at an affordable price. Described as Indian-American fusion, their menu boasts more traditional dishes such as momos, tikka masala and vada pav, as well as more experimental items, like tikka pizza. For our drinks, we opted for an iced Masala chai and an Indian lemon/lime soda called Limca. For our appetizer and entree, we ordered the vada pav and the chicken masala elote pizza. After placing our order, we walked outside with our order number to enjoy their beautiful outdoor seating area. The Masala chai was both sweet and spicy, and choosing to have it iced was the perfect way to enjoy the drink on a hot summer evening. The lemon/lime soda was surprisingly tasty, and much less sweet than many traditional American sodas, making it easy to drink the whole can in one sitting. After we sat down at our table, the waiter brought our pizza and vada pav out to us. They were served in to-go containers, which speaks to the easy-going feel of this spot. The vada pav is an Indian street food, made up of a fried potato patty between a bun, chutney, and garlic sauce. Moti’s version was smoky, sweet, and spicy and the perfect bite to start off the meal. Splitting it between two people gave us each about 2-3 full bites, so it would be ideal as a starter or as part of a larger meal. The pizza was about 12” inches, on thin crust, and covered in a mix of chicken, masala roasted corn, crumbled paneer, and topped with masala yogurt. The pizza was indulgent with the elote and crumbled paneer, but still felt light enough to have 2-3 pieces per person and not feel overly full.
